The internal organs and feet shall [first] be washed with water, and the priest shall then offer everything, burning it on the altar. It is a completely burnt fire offering, an appeasing fragrance to God.

on all sides The blood was dashed on the two opposite corners so that the blood would reach all sides of the altar (Rashi). The blood was splashed on the north-east and south-west corners of the altar (Tamid 30b; Rashi, Zevachim 53b; Yad, Maaseh HaKarbanoth 5:6).

fatty intestinal membrane (Ramban). Padar in Hebrew. This is the membrane dividing the intestines from the stomachs. Others translate padar or peder as fat in general (Rashbam; Ibn Ezra; Radak, Sherashim; Septuagint). According to others, padar denotes the chest organs, the lungs, the windpipe, and everything attached to them (Saadia); according to some, even including the heart and liver (Ibn Janach; see Tamud 4:3; Yad, Maaseh HaKorbanoth 6:7).

Thepadar is placed over the animal's neck to cover the cut where the animal was slaughtered (Yoma26a; Rashi).

turtle doveTor in Hebrew (from which the word tur-tle here is derived). This is identified as Streptopelia turtur (cf. Saadia), a smaller variety of dove. It is a beautiful bird with bright stripes on its neck. When the bird matures, the feathers on its neck become an irridescent red (Rashi on Chullin 22b), and only then can the bird be offered as a sacrifice (Chullin 22b; Yad, Issurey HaMizbeach 3:2). Some note that this is a wild variety of bird (Ralbag). See Genesis 15:9.

young These can only be sacrificed before the feathers begin to glisten (Ibid).

nip offMalak in Hebrew; see Leviticus 5:8. The priest would allow the fingernail on his thumb to grow long. Holding the bird in his hand, he would drive this fingernail through the back of the bird's neck, severing the spine, along with both the gullet and the windpipe. He would have to be careful, however, not to cut through the majority of the flesh of the neck (Zevachim 65b; Chullin 21a; Rashi; Yad, Maaseh HaKorbanoth 6:23). According to others, however, only the gullet or the windpipe had to be severed (Ibn Janach). There is another opinion that after the spine was severed with the priest's fingernail, the bird's throat would be slit with a knife (Saadia Gaon, quoted in Mebhaser HaBavil, p. 87; Rabbi Yehuda HaChasid).

the head After the bird was slaughtered, the head would be cut off and burned separately (Ramban; Ramban on Zevachim 6:5; Yad, Maaseh HaKorbanoth 6:21; Radak, Sherashim). According to others, however, the head was left attached to the bird's body when it was burned on the altar (Rashi, Zevachim 64b, s.v. U'Mavdil; Chullin 21b, s.v. Af; Chizzkuni). The verse would then be translated, 'He shall burn [the entire bird] on the altar, (line 16) [but first] he shall ...' (Rashi).

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